Bikers, Eagles help seniors

0

The Greenfield chapter of the Independent Bikers Association (IBA) and the Greenfield Eagles Post 1325 donated a total of $3,400 to Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. (HCCAO)’s senior nutrition program recently, IBA chapter president Jeff Campbell told The Times-Gazette.

The Greenfield IBA started donating to HCCAO’s Senior Nutrition Program five years ago, Campbell said. The Eagles has contributed for the last three years. The Ladies’ Auxiliary also contributed this year.

“The government keeps cutting their money and making it harder and harder to take care of our seniors,” Campbell said. “A lot of us are getting older, too. We always try to do some good things in the community. When we started this for Community Action, we were looking for something to get hooked up with that would help in our county. We’ve done it for five years now, and we plan to keep going. Hopefully, we can make it bigger and bigger and get more people involved.”

Eagles Assistant Secretary Diedra Hamilton said the Greenfield Eagles got involved because it’s important to care for seniors in the community.

“We know that they’re hard-pressed for funds. Obviously, they can’t just pull things out of their pocket,” Hamilton said. “It’s our seniors. They need our help, and we’re willing to do that in any way we can because we have a lot of seniors in our club. They’re the ones who helped build this club. We have gold members, which means they’ve been there for 25-plus years. If it wasn’t for their membership, we could not do this. We want to give back whatever is given to us.”

The Greenfield IBA holds an annual benefit once a year to raise money for HCCAO. The Burning Assphalt benefit, hosted by the Greenfield Eagles, was named by a former member of the Greenfield IBA who Campbell called a horrible speller.

“He wasn’t a very good speller, and the name was his idea,” he said. “We kept it that way in memory of him. He passed away four years ago.”

The Burning Assphalt benefit features a live local band, Salem’s Lot, and a silent auction. Any money raised goes to the HCCAO.

“We like to have a good time, we like to be around people, we like to ride motorcycles,” Campbell said. “Anybody that rides, we’d love to have them on our rides. It’s not just about biking. We’re happy to have anybody who wants to come and enjoy a good band and spend some money on some auction items to help the seniors out. Every little bit helps.”

The IBA’s next annual Burning Assphalt benefit will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Greenfield Eagles is hosting a cystic fibrosis benefit on Saturday, April 18.

HCCAO Executive Director Julia Wise told The Times-Gazette earlier this month that the senior nutrition program provides hot meals five days a week for homebound Highland County residents 60 and over, the majority of whom don’t have other sources of food. Wise added that they recently had to cut back staff hours in an effort to conserve funds, so meals are delivered four days a week instead of five, though the recipients receive frozen meals for the fifth day.

In 2019, Wise said the program served 28,462 home-delivered meals to seniors.

In early January, there were 25 to 30 seniors who had requested meals but had to be placed on a waiting list.

For more information about the Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. Senior Nutrition Program, call Site Manager Amy Faulconer at 937-981-2895. To donate, go to hccao.org/about/donate. The senior nutrition program can always use volunteers.

Reach McKenzie Caldwell at 937-402-2570.

The Greenfield chapter of the Independent Bikers Association (IBA) and Greenfield Eagles Post 1325 donated a total of $3,400 to Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc.’s Senior Nutrition Program. Pictured, from left, are Eagles Ladies’ Auxiliary President Vette Highley, Greenfield IBA President Jeff Campbell, Jimmy Richardson, Jim Hodge and HCCAO Executive Director Julie Wise.
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/01/web1_iba-donations.jpgThe Greenfield chapter of the Independent Bikers Association (IBA) and Greenfield Eagles Post 1325 donated a total of $3,400 to Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc.’s Senior Nutrition Program. Pictured, from left, are Eagles Ladies’ Auxiliary President Vette Highley, Greenfield IBA President Jeff Campbell, Jimmy Richardson, Jim Hodge and HCCAO Executive Director Julie Wise. Courtesy photo
Groups raise $3,400 for Senior Nutrition Program

By McKenzie Caldwell

[email protected]

No posts to display